US902001A - Automatic regulating device for fluid-pressure apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

A. G. E. RATEAU.

AUTOMATIC BBGULATING DEVICE FOR FLUID PRESSURE APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1905.

902,001 Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE CAMILLE EDMOND RATEAU, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO RATEAU TURBINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC REGULATINGDEVICE FOR FLUID-PRESSURE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedOct. 27, 1908.

Application filed April 28, 1905. Serial No. 257,849.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE CAMILLE ED- MOND RATEAU, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Regulating Devices for Fluid- Pressure Apparatus, for which I have obtained Letters Patent in foreign countries as follows: France, No. 342,896, May 5, 1904; Belgium, No. 147,358, April '10, 1905, and Switzerland, April 10, 1905, and of which the following is a specification.

The resent invention has for its object a plan of automatic regulation offluid pressure apparatus, being designed more particularly as a system of regulation for pumps serving to feed boilers.

In its particular intended application the invention is employed inconnection with centrifugal pumps used for feeding boilers.

Centrifugal pumps having a large head can be utilized for feeding steam boilers, even to pressures as high as about three hundred pounds per square inch. In contradistinction to the operation of reciprocating pumps, centrifugal pumps oifer the advantage that at a velocity of rotation which is substantially constant they can yield a very variable output of water, but it is necessary to em loy a special system of regulation which obliges the steam motor driving the centrifugal pump to give an amount of work roportiona to the required flow. It is a so necessary that in case the pump loses its priming through the flow becoming interrupted on account of the entrance of air, or for other reasons, the racing of the motor should be prevented. This double condition is realized by the system of regulation forming the subject of the present invention, and which, in a preferred mechanical form, is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the construction and arrangement of the regulator; and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the various connections between the boiler, pump and motor.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the throttle-valve of the motor, herein diagrammatically shown as a steam turbine. This throttle-valve is secured to the stem 2, and by moving down more or less it partially cuts off the admission of steam to the motor. 3 designates a lever having a pivotal axis at 4' on a suitably mounted stem 15*, and engaging the lower end of the stem 2. r This lever 3 is acted u on at its extremity 5 by the connected di 'erential pistons 6 and 7 0 erating in a casing 6 The diameter of t e piston 6, through which the-pressure of the boiler 9 acts by means of a connecting pipe 8, is a-little greater than that of the piston 7, which latter is subjected, through a pipe 10, to the pressure of the water discharged by the centrifugal pump 11. By means of these differential pistons, which are in equilibrium when the pressure of the water dischar ed by the pum 11 is a little higher than t e pressure of t e steam, the lever 3 will move the throttle-valve to admit steam to the motor 12'of the pum when the pressure of the water tends to fa l; and, on the contrary, will throttle the admission of steam when the pressure of the water tends to rise above a point which is found to be in normal or constant relation to the pressure of the steam. Furthermore, the lever 3 is acted upon by a spring 13, the tension of which can be varied by means of a hand Wheel 14. This spring permits any desired variation or re ulation of the constant relation between t e pressure of the water delivered by the pump 11 and that of the steam in the generator 9.

The pivot of the lever 3 is, as already stated, mounted on the rod 15* which forms the stem of a piston 15, the lower face of which is in communication, through the pipe 16, with the discharge pressure of the pum 11. When this pressure is sufficiently hig this piston 15 raises the pivot 4 and maintains it in its normal position but should the pressure of the water discharged by the pump 11 fall materially or cease altogether by reason of the pum losing its priming, or for any other reason, t e pressure of water on the piston 15 falls, and a counteracting spring 17 thrusts the piston and the pivot 4 downwardly. The throttle-valve 1 is then closed and the motorstops, whatever may be the position of the differential pistons 6 and 7.

To again start the machine, all that is necessary is to raise the axis 4 by elevating the lever3 by hand, for'which purposes the latter is provided with a handle 18. The lever 3 is held u until the normal speed is attained, and at t is instant, if the pump is o crating normally, the lever can be released, t e pressure below the piston 15 being sufficient to offset the spring 17 and maintain the pivot 4 in its normal position. It will thus be seen that by the simple arrangement of mechanism described this double result is obtained, viz: that the pressure of discharge of the pump 11 is always higher than the pressure of the steam in the boiler, and that the apparatus automatically stops as soon as the entrance of air or the failure of priming interrupts the continuity of flow of the centrifugal ump.

It will be understood that the specific constructions herein illustrated of the several parts are typical only, and may take on any of the usual and well known forms.

I claim:

1. The combination with a pressure generator, of a motor, a connection forapplying pressure from said generator to said motor, a regulator for controlling the pressure admitted to said motor, a pump driven by said motor, and controlling mechanism independ ent of the regulator for governing said regulator, said controlling mechanism being acted upon oppositely by the pressure from said generator and said pump.

2. The combination with a pressure generator, of a motor, a pump for supplying said generator driven by said motor, a regulator for said motor having a movable controlling part, and controlling mechanism for governing said regulator, said controlling mechanism comprising diiferential pistons of unequal cross-section acted upon oppositely by the pressure from said generator and said pump, respectively.

3. The combination with a fluid feed pump, of a motor driving the same, and mechanism controlling said motor adapted to shut off the power thereto when the fluid pressure from said pump fails, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a fluid feed pump, of a motor driving the same, and a mechanism subjected to the discharge pressure of the pump controlling said motor and adapted to shut oil. the power thereto when the fluid pressure from said pump fails, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor receiving its motive fluid supply from said generator, a pump for supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttle-valve for said motor, and a diflerentiaLpiston controlling mechanism connected to said throttle-valve, but independent thereof, the pistons whereof are acted upon oppositely by the pressure from said generator and said pump, respectively, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor, a pump for supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttlevalve for said motor, a pair of connected differential pistons exposed respectively to oppositely acting pressures from said generator and said pump, and a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of said throttle-valve, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor, a pump for supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttle-valve for said motor, a pair of connected differential pistons exposed respectively to oppositely acting pressures from said generator and said pump, a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of said throttlevalve, and means regulated by the pressure from said pump serving to vary the position of the fulcrum point of said lever, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor, a pump for supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttle-valve for said motor, a painof connected differential pistons expos ec lrespec tively to oppositely acting pressures from said generator and said pump, a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of said throttle-valve, and a piston on which said lever is fulcrumed, said last-named piston being exposed to the pressure from said pump, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor, a pump for supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttle-valve for said motor, a pair of connected differential pistons exposed respectively to oppositely acting pressures from said generator and said pump, a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of said throttle-valve, a piston exposed to the pressure from said pump and pivotally supporting said lever, and a spring acting upon the pivot of said lever in opposition to said last-named piston, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor, a pump for supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttle-valve for said motor, a pair of connected differential pistons exposed respectively to oppositely acting pressures from said generator and said pump, a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of said throttlevalve, an adjustable spring acting upon one arm of said lever, a piston exposed to the pressure from said pump and pivotally supporting said lever, and a spring acting upon the pivot of said lever in opposition to said last-named piston, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a steam boiler, ofa steam engine, a centrifugal pump for supplying feed water to said boiler driven by said engine, a throttle-valve for said engine, a pair of connected differential pistons exposed respectively to the steam pressure from said boiler and the water pressure discharged by said pump, a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of said throttlevalve, a piston exposed to the water pressure from said pump and pivotally supporting uuzpu 1 3 said lever, and a spring acting upon the pivot of said lever in opposition to said lastnamed piston, substantially as described.

12. In a regulator, the combination with a I valve, of a lever for operating the same, a movable fulcrum for the lever, a piston arranged to move said lever upon said fulcrum, a second piston arranged to support said fulcrum, and sources of fluid pressure arranged to act upon said pistons to control the opera tion of said valve.

13. In a regulator, the combination With a valve, of a pivoted lever for operating the same, automatic means for shifting said lever to move the valve to either of its alternative positions, and a movable fulcrum for said lever adapted when moved away from its normal position to revent an effective change in position of said ever.

said motor having a movable controlling.

part, and means controlled by an abnormal fall of the discharge pressure from said pump, adapted to shift said controlling part to a position to stop said motor.

AUGUSTE CAMILLE EDMOND RATEAU. Witnesses:

EUGENE PIERRE RoLLIN, HANsoN 0. (10x12.

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